Avenged
by spankingfemfatale
Summary: Loki is defeated, but his story is far from over. Written for me by my most awesome husband! D WARNING! Contains non-sexual spanking!
1. After the Fall

New story about Loki based on the new Avengers movie. Written for my lovely wife Jenna, of course.

Loki watched as they handed him around like a prized possession. He couldn't help but feel the irony in the fact that he had downright enjoyed his previous capture, knowing all along that they were not able to keep him; that his imprisonment had actually been a trap for earth's defenders.

This time, though, it was no charade; he could not revel in knowing that he could slip free. A specially designed mouth guard kept him from opening his mouth even slightly to utter any form of the quietest of incantations, strong enough to defy even the muscles of an Asgardian god such as he.

To compliment that guard were chains that bound his hands, but Loki knew those to simply be an extra precaution; without access to his magic the massive blonde who stood behind him stood as more than enough security to prevent his escape.

Thor. Loki glared at him spitefully, feeling the fire of his anger rising constantly as those who had defeated him passed him to the brute for safe-keeping.

They would use the very item that Loki had used to attack earth to send him and Thor back to Asgard.

Loki thought back to how he had mocked Thor, taunting him with the fact that Odin would have had to use the last of Asgard's energies to transport Thor to earth to defend it. When he had said that Loki had been confident that there would be no return trip home for his brother, so the outcome stung his pride.

Loki seethed as he watched Thor activate his side of the Tesseract and then glance up expectantly at Loki. None would see his jaw tighten for the mask he wore, as Loki glared back as his foster brother. He did not want to go back to Asgard, and certainly didn't want to face Odin in chains.

But in chains he was, and of options he had none. Loki may have stormed on the inside, but outwardly at least he was calm and controlled as he turned his side of the device, defiant even in his manner, since he could defy in no other way.

Primal blue lightning flashed inside and around the Tesseract as the ancient device shrouded them both in a warm glow and the whole world around him went blindingly bright, forcing him to close his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again he stood in Asgard.

Not just anywhere in Asgard either. Loki repressed a groan of agitation to see that they had appeared in the audience hall of the All-Father himself. Of course they would come here rather than the vast array of isolated, remote locations they could have traveled to. In fact, as he observed that Odin was already watching them, he could assume that it was his adoptive father's will that had pulled them to this exact spot.

Which meant it was Odin's will that everyone of import in the castle see the former prince in chains. Loki burned with the sentiment, knowing his face had to be colored with the heat of his rage, but helpless to stop that part of it. He forced his disposition to otherwise appear calm, helpless to do more than hold his head high.

He was a king, and whether or not he won earth, Loki would find a way to assert himself into his rightful place as a ruler. Let them stare at him in chains now, let them see his mouth bound to silence; later he would have his laugh at their expense, because he was Loki and in the long term he would prove more clever than they.

Loki imagined the hall had been bustling with activity before his and Thor's sudden appearance, but everyone had stopped whatever business they might have been concerned with, and silence filled the grand room, all eyes on Thor and his prisoner.

Thor knelt before the throne, finally taking his eyes from his brother, now that Loki was surrounded by Asgardians who would be insuring his chances of trying escape were now nonexistent. Not that he could ever have bested Thor without access to his magic.

Loki felt his jaw tighten again as he saw the favor in Odin's eye as the lord motioned for Thor to rise. Before Thor could speak Odin did, finally breaking the silence, his booming voice full of power once more now that he had freshly woken from a cycle of Odinsleep, "I see you spare me no deference, Loki.

Have you come to think yourself my equal?"

A harsh whisper passed like a wind through the room from those observing, and fear flashed in Loki's eyes for a moment. He had been so caught up in his own anger that he had forgotten how thoroughly he respected Odin's raw power. His knees shook a moment as he was compelled to kneel, his mind torn between the wisest course of action and his own stubborn assertion to royalty.

Coming to a decision Loki bowed jerkily, having so many things he would want to color the act with verbally but limited only to awkward humility to Odin's grace. Only a fool defied the All-Father so directly, and if Loki hoped to rise again he would have to at least show Odin his due.

Odin gave a curt nod to Loki's acceptance, sitting back in his throne. He turned his attention to Thor. "I am pleased to have both sons back in good health, but saddened by my son Loki's chains. Remove them for the time being, and allow him to speak in his own defense, for he has many crimes to answer for."

Thor reached across and casually ripped the mouthpiece from Loki, the trickster hissing at the sting of it and glaring at his brother. As Thor moved to unfasten the cuffs on his hands Loki lifted his chin to Odin, finally able to cast his voice out at those that judged him, "Before you accuse me of crimes against Asgard, perhaps you should speak of a prince of Jotenheim, stolen from his true father."

Odin's face grew dark, "A father you slew, Loki. Do you really wish to announce yourself to be of Jotenheim in this room, when we still war with the frost giants?"

Loki glanced around at the faces that surrounded him, and he knew he had made a mistake. Trying to cast Odin in a bad light for his kidnap did not endear him to those who had already sought reason to judge the trickster of Asgard. Now he only gave them reason behind their suspicions that he was of bad blood.

Loki gritted his teeth, feeling a sting he had thought he was beyond by now. He did not seek these people's approval; they were not his peers! He brought himself up to his full height, though still shorter than Thor, and committed to his course, "One does not choose one's birth…"

Odin slammed his staff down on the floor angrily and the room shook with his anger alone as he interrupted Loki, "But you may always choose your people! Do you mean to say that you choose to side with Joten? Mind you they are aware that it was you who attempted genocide on the very race you claim true kinship with."

That comment pushed Loki off-course, and he stood with his mouth open a moment, his words freezing in his mouth. He licked his lips and gulped, suddenly aware that he had been outmaneuvered by his own actions. "Yes, well… I wasn't planning on claiming Jotenheim."

Odin leaned forward, "Then what do you claim? That you are a power unto yourself? Because you have only two options here, Loki; either you are an errant prince of Asgard who must be punished, or your actions place you as a true enemy to this throne, a course that could certainly prove fatal."

Loki grew pale as Odin continued the glare at him, the greying monarch speaking again as Loki hesitated, "What, no fancy words now that you finally realize you stand here to pay for your crimes? No more games, Loki…" Odin's face softened at the fear he saw in his adopted son's eyes, "…regardless of your heritage, I took you for my son. Do you forsake me?"

Loki shouted quickly, "No!" He looked around; frustration taking hold in his warring heart as he realized what he had said was true. "I… I was betrayed; you lied to me!"

Odin sat back in his throne, nodding sadly, "I never lied, but I am not infallible. I see I should not have hidden your lineage from you. Truly, I only did so because I wanted you to avoid this very strife. You are young yet, Loki, and you have served Asgard in the past. Choose your fealty."

Loki stared a moment, his mind buzzing with the only option he could yet see through the confusing swell of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. His mouth was a hard line as he kneeled before the throne, "I of course owe myself only to Asgard; all of my actions however failed were meant to bring glory to her people and to my father, Odin."

Odin watched him as he spoke the hollow words, his one eye piercing and his face unreadable. "Then you shall be judged for your foolish actions as a prince of Asgard, and you shall remain here in this city until such time as I decide how best to re-educate you in what truly brings glory to Asgard."

Loki looked up with a nervous smile, "So, what… we are just going to pretend none of this ever happened?"

Odin nodded, "It would certainly be in your best interest if we did, would it not?"

Loki Opened his mouth to reply then shut it, choosing to simply nod instead, as he could feel that Odin's patience was strained, and he had no intention of pushing his luck.

Odin gestured to Thor, "Bring him to his own quarters; we'll speak later on this subject, but until then consider this matter sealed."

Loki smiled over at Thor as they walked, unable to repress his grin at the notion that he was to be allowed freedom after Thor had brought him to Asgard in chains. Thor did not share his smile, obviously, and Loki could tell to his pleasure that his own mirth displeased the warrior. "Oh, come on; this is was you wanted, isn't it? You and I have returned to the same stagnation as before!"

Thor shook his head, "I truly am glad that Odin accepts you, Loki, but I believe you fail to take what you have done seriously enough."

Loki laughed, "Since when have I ever taken anything seriously? You wanted Loki back in Asgard and you have it… are you having second thoughts now?"

Loki watched Thor intently, and the thunder god could tell that he was deriving joy from the other's discomfort. "You still make a game of this, I know. And you would do well to know that Odin certainly knows this as well."

The smile left Loki's face and he stared at Thor a moment, "We can never return to what was before; I have set change in motion, and even the All-Father is helpless to stop the progress of evolution."

Thor's mouth quirked at Loki's statement, "And what have you evolved into, Loki? I still see an Asgardian who has given himself over to jealousy. You want to think yourself better than me? Then try being less petty."

Thor turned to leave and Loki sneered after him, "Use whatever words you like to describe my ascension, but I will win."

Thor half-turned to look back at him, a small smile on his face, "You play in Odin's court now; there are no weak mortals to push around here. Feel free to tell me how much you have changed, but I see the same treachery as before, only now no one will be surprised."

Thor left and Loki stood rigidly for a long moment, suddenly backhanding a vase from its resting place. He felt a shout pushing to escape his lips but he fought it down, forcing his breathing to take on even tones. He would win; they would all see.

He would win.

Time passed, but Asgardians do not measure time as the mortal races do. Since their lives are nearly eternal, they instead measure the crawl of the infinite in moments, events and most importantly; actions.

Many things happened on earth while Loki settled into his renewed life as a prince of Odin's court. The Avengers, the very mortal defenders that he had inadvertently brought solidly together in defense of Midgard, made a name for themselves in continued defense of the planet from those who had noticed them and taken interest in conquest of the young race.

On Asgard, however, little of import transpired as the only nation currently at war with the Asgardians was unable to retaliate for the war crimes that Loki had perpetuated against them. So it came as a surprise to Loki when Odin approached him, "I have decided that you will help to repair the damage you have done."

Loki looked askance of his adoptive father, "Bifrost is destroyed, milord; how would I begin to do such a thing?"

Odin shook his head, "I don't intend to send you to them; that would be dangerous to your health and I don't trust you that far, yet."

Loki looked over at Odin levelly, the playfulness having left his voice, "Then whatever could I do?"

Odin bid him to follow and walked Loki out to the ruined remains of the rainbow bridge, "You will repair Bifrost, so that I can clean up your mess."

Loki's jaw worked, "I know even less about this device than Heimdall and so far less than you; how am I supposed to do that?"

Odin gave him a cold smile, "I am no fool; I am aware that you have been told secrets concerning the Tesseract…"

Loki feigned innocence, "The Tesseract? That archaic device is well beyond my scope of…"

Odin sighed, slapping Loki across the face with one gauntleted hand. Loki froze with his head turned to the side from the force of the unexpected blow, a look that was a cross of surprise and anger on his face. Odin continued, "Did you think I would not notice that you were using it?"

Loki's surprise deepened and he stared at Odin in genuine shock. The grey monarch continued, "You have been subtly attacking Thor and his new allies in Midgard consistently for some time now. I had hoped you would tire of it the first few times they defeated those you sent against them."

Loki was flabbergasted, "You knew all along?"

Odin gave him an incredulous look, "I am the All-Father; what activity do you hope to hide from me in my own realm? I was aware the very first time you used the Tesseract's energies to project yourself to earth. That human you empowered, Creel; he remains a threat to earth forever and for what, so that you can continue a petty feud with your brother?"

Loki gave Odin a curious look, feeling exposed but still perplexed that Odin had known the entire time, after years of thinking he was so cleverly hidden in his plots, "Then why allow much such freedom of movement; why not stop me and defend your precious Thor?"

Odin frowned at Loki, "'Your precious Thor'. Do you still pretend him not your brother? I already mentioned that I had hoped you would… mature. I'd hoped you would grow beyond your quiet form of bickering."

Loki sneered at Odin, then turned away from the bridge and headed back to the castle, "How could I forget he is my brother when you my father so constantly praise your blonde-headed son? I have no interest in this work you suggest."

Odin followed him, surprisingly unruffled by Loki's assertion, "This isn't a suggestion. I'm commanding you to use your knowledge of the Tesseract's workings to restore rather than tear down for once."

Loki halted and turned to face Odin, his mounting frustration over the realization that Odin had allowed him to attack Thor growing. Odin had let him do as he wished because he had known Loki would continually fail. "You could more easily do it yourself; all this is just an exercise in humiliating me!"

Odin stepped close to Loki and the smaller man drew back a little at the intimidating countenance before him, "You could use some humility! No one but you brought the shame you speak of down on you!"

Loki shook at the conviction in his father's face. Conviction; a human had accused him of having none, had called him out as a failure even as the frail creature died from his wounds. Why did everyone think him so weak?

Loki gave a primal cry of fury and looked Odin in the eye with every ounce of nerve he had, "You want to stop playing games? So be it; I'm tired of this charade anyways!" Loki waved his hand with a single arcane syllable and disappeared from sight, running back towards the city, where he would double back to a safer place and then use the Tesseract to transport himself far, far away from Asgard. He was done with these fools.

At least, all of this was the plan that formulated in his mind on that moment just before Odin's hand snatched him from his flight and pulled him close, so he could whisper his displeasure to his son, "You are intelligent, Loki; but you will learn today to temper your thoughts with wisdom."

Odin proceeded to drag the struggling trickster along with him back to Loki's personal living space, shutting the door behind them as he entered. Loki gave his father a questioning look as Odin sat on a spacious seat, pulling hard on Loki to drag the trickster onto his lap.

Loki was so stunned by Odin's casual manner as the All-Father pulled him into position and tugged down his pants, that his dazed mind did not realize what exactly was happening until he felt the first sharp sting of Odin's hand colliding with his naked cheeks, "What?"

Odin looked down at him as he tried vainly to twist away, bringing his large powerful hand down again and again on his struggling son's backside, "You have become a petulant, arrogant fool, and you have proven that less direct methods of encouragement to change yield nothing."

Loki kicked and fought, but the physical force that Odin represented was absolute, and he realized quickly that he could not stop Odin; he was in fact helpless against the onslaught of swats being delivered to him.

The sound of those loud slaps filled his ears and Loki felt panic begin to well in him as the burning sensation drove his already inflamed anger to new heights, "Why would you choose this? It is only clearer than ever that you just wish to see me suffer!"

Odin shook his head but did not reply to Loki's accusation as he continued to pummel the trickster's squirming ass, which was beginning to turn a bright red as his motions became more frantic. Finally he spoke again as Loki began to hiss at the sting of it, "I do this because of your hubris. Thor was punished for similar arrogance, but you need a different form of humility applied to you."

Loki had no words to answer Odin's claim, and being wordless was no common state for Loki. He bit his tongue at the bitter taste of what Odin was doing to him, the message all too clear. And still Odin's hand continued its work, and Loki felt he could take no more of it, the burning sensation becoming unbearable as each swat compounded the horrible sensation.

Finally unable to take any more, and already humiliated by the grunts of pain that escaped him despite his best efforts to take the punishment quietly so as not to give Odin the satisfaction, Loki conceded at least in word, so that Odin might stop and he could become free to decide how best to escape Asgard, "Enough! I have had enough, I yield!"

Odin surprised him by shaking his head no, and Loki watched him with wide eyes as he spoke in measured words, "You are sorry you defied me now; I intend to make you sorry for everything you have done to this point before I leave you this night."

Loki's mouth worked before he finally managed to reply, "Please! You have made me full sore; why torture me further with a child's punishment?"

Odin bellowed at him and Loki grew quiet instantly, "Because you are a child, given to childish thoughts and childish actions! As you know, here in Asgard we reply to every action in kind, so you, son, have much of this to endure."

Loki only stared at Odin in horror for some time as the continued discipline caused him to buck in Odin's lap. He lay there without uttering a word for some time before the realization that he could endure no more returned to him, "No… no, please!"

But Odin ignored his pleas, and when Loki began to cry, tears streaking his face that tracked both his pain and humiliation, Odin continued, knowing that now finally he was getting past the shell and into the hurt child his son really was.

This continued for some time, until Odin finally decided that Loki had been pushed past the point of ego, and only then did the All-Father stop, looking down at his son, who looked back up at him, broken and beaten. Authority filled Odin's deep voice, "You will repair the Bifrost."

Loki nodded humbly, his voice strained, "I-I will."

Odin simply nodded, "Good." He pulled the trickster's pants back up, which elicited a hiss of pain from Loki, then pushed the godling to standing and rose himself. Loki looked unsteady on his feet, his face an open book of confusion.

Odin paused at the door on his way out, feeling he should say something more, but unable to decide what words would most help his son, he merely nodded to him and left. Loki stood there for several minutes, his heart still pounding in his chest and his face still heated with embarrassment.

Still stunned by the experience, Loki moved to sit, only to hop back up again at the bolt of pain that greeted the action. As he hissed and rubbed at his soreness, he realized Odin had left a reminder of his punishment that he would feel for some time…


	2. Rebuilding

Loki drew in a long breath before releasing it in a long sigh of agitation. He had been working to align the Tesseract with his newly refurbished Bifrost, both physically and on subtler levels that related to raw energy.

The bridge was perfect, forged anew by the few dwarves who called Asgard home. Odin had specified that they were to follow Loki's suggestions but the trickster found them an unruly lot that often blatantly ignored his commands.

Nonetheless, the bridge was aligned perfectly, a testament to dwarven craftsmanship. What frustrated Loki now was the Tesseract itself. The device responded as if it randomly generated how it was going to work each time he experimented, leaving him feeling as if he made no real progress.

It was true that the Chitauri revealed much of the devices' fuction to him, but being able to draw on and manipulate the power of the ancient relic was a far cry from understanding it. He suddenly wished he still had Dr. Selvig in his pocket; the human was admittedly genius when it came to the complexities of the cube.

But Erik Selvig would doubtless be averse to helping the same being who had caused him so much trouble and ridden his mind like a trained horse. Loki could not help but smile at the thought of it. The smile faded as it always did as he remembered everything that came after. That a handful of humans played and instrumental part in his defeat bothered him to no end.

After all, was he not better than they? Then why were common humans thwarting his efforts with such seeming ease? Loki thought on this often, and so spent much of his time working on Odin's project in a sour mood.

Loki was staring at a readout when Odin's voice startled him from his wandering thoughts, "How comes the Bifrost, Loki? It certainly looks like it will be functioning very soon."

Loki frowned at Odin, "You would know better than any; why pretend that you aren't practically omniscient?"

Odin smiled at him and stood glancing past Loki to see the readings on the multiple transparent view screens that hovered there, "For one, I like to hear you reply to my questions in your own creative way, Bor save me. Two; you well know that things sometimes escape even my notice, or Heimdall would need not watch the realm as he does."

Loki sulked, "I always figured you placed him there so you wouldn't have to bother. Sort of like how you have me working on this so you won't need to, despite how much easier this would be for you."

Odin laughed, knuckling Loki's shoulder. "Of course that is what you would believe." His tone and face became more serious, "As to your work, this is a lesson in itself for you to learn."

Loki waved off the notion, "And what lesson is that; how much of my time can be taken from me?"

Odin smiled, but it was a hard smile, "You know our ways, Loki. Since you have gotten little done, hardly any time has passed, eh? What I hope you're learning is how much effort goes into the things you so casually… blow up."

Loki snarled at that, "I was only trying to save us from the Joten!"

Odin's mirth left his face, "You were trying to impress in much the same way that Thor did, except that you thought it through even less than he did! At least, that is what I hope; that you made a huge blundering mistake, and that you didn't realize what impact your actions would have on the same Asgardians you claim to have been trying to protect!"

Loki paused, knowing he floated in dangerous waters now. "I'll… get back to work."

Odin nodded to him, but his frown remained, "Good." He stared at his son a moment longer and then turned to leave.

Loki fumed as he stared at the readouts, no longer paying them any mind. Why should he allow himself to continue being treated like this? His immediate thoughts on that went to the scene that followed his last attempt at escape.

Loki winced in remembered humiliation, his teeth grating as he furiously thought on the matter. That had been different; he had tried mystical cloaking, and perhaps overestimated his abilities. Odin had seen through the spell of invisibility as if he hadn't even been there.

However, the Tesseract sat across from him, and Odin was now likely far from where he stood… Loki wrung his hands and started to pace nervously. To be honest, he really wasn't sure what Odin's abilities were, and though using the Tesseract to transport himself far away would work, there was no guarantee that Odin couldn't exert his insane Odin-power and pluck him up, pulling him back much as he had done in a more physical manner before…

Loki could almost scream with contained anger and frustration. He had begun work on the machine motivated solely by fear of more brutality from Odin, but the monarch had to know he couldn't be contained in such a fashion forever.

Loki found himself glancing at the wide round door to the bridge often in paranoia, and worked to regain a sense of calm. Finally relaxing enough to think, Loki weighed his options. The prospect of finishing the Bifrost to be done with his debt to Odin and moving on seemed less appealing now.

The trickster's eyes moved to the Tesseract, the glowing blue cube suspended in the air between machines above and below it. Odin gave him access to something so powerful… but was it because he didn't know how Loki could use it or was it because he knew he could retrieve him even if he fled?

Loki continued to grit his teeth as he stared, willing himself to come to the decision he knew he had to make. When it boiled down to it staying was an act of obeisance, and if he was to keep any measure of respect for himself, he could not pretend that fixing the Bifrost because Odin had bullied him was the act of a king.

Loki frowned, his brow drawing down in determination as he stepped closer to the Tesseract. He would become king. Loki reached one hand out, calmly pulling the necessary energy into himself and then philtering it back into the device in the manner he needed.

He allowed a smile to crawl across his face as he felt the world around him becoming thinner, a hole in space opening around him. Loki's smile dropped as the world suddenly seemed heavier, and the hole rapidly faded, everything becoming solid again.

He put every ounce of his considerable will into forcing the door in the universe open again, but he felt barred and was left panting from exertion as it became clear that he was going nowhere. Loki balled his fists and screamed in anger, "Why?"

The huge Asgardian behind him answered in his deep, emotionless way, "Because I did not permit you leave Asgard. All of our people know this simple truth; no one uses Bifrost without Heimdall's approval."

Loki sat upon his knees, looking up at his father plaintively as the powerful Heimdall related what he had seen. Once the tall dark warrior had finished speaking Loki attempted to stand, but Heimdall's firm hand on his shoulder prevented him from regaining his composure.

He appealed to Odin regardless, bristling at the subjugation, "My lord Odin… father; what Heimdall claims is a mistake! I was only experimenting with the Tesseract as you had commanded, and if he had waited but a moment more he would have seen that! I was judged before my actions could prove my course…"

Odin waved off his objection, "Heimdall does not make the kind of mistake you accuse him of, Loki. He is both fair and impartial in his observations, and if he tells me that only his own intervention kept you from shifting away from Asgard, I most certainly believe him."

Loki glanced around the throne room, seeing nothing but condemning stares from every face present. He shouted up at Odin in his throne, "You do not even give me the benefit of the doubt! It is no small wonder then why you would believe I want to leave so badly!"

Odin sat un-answering for several long moments, and when he finally spoke it broke a thick hush that had fallen over them all like a fog. "I wish for you to admit to me, Heimdall, and everyone here that you attempted flight."

Loki's face flushed dark at the simple statement, for reasons he himself couldn't entirely fathom; after all, why would he care more if these random courtesans and Heimdall became involved? His answer was immediate and angry, "I will do no such thing; I'm telling the truth!"

Odin slammed his hand down on his throne, shattering the metal surface as he roared. "I command you to tell everyone here the truth for once in your miserable life! No stories, no excuses; only admission and apology to all parties concerned!"

Loki stared up at him with wide eyes for a moment, frightened by the fire in his father's eye. He had seen Odin this angry only once before, when the monarch had stripped Thor of his powers and hurled the prince to earth.

Loki licked his lips, his face pale, "I-I believe we have gotten off on the wrong foot… I only meant to say there was a misunderstanding…"

Odin launched from his chair and crossed the space from it to Loki in two steps, grabbing hold of Loki by the collar and pulling him face to face. Loki could see from this close that though Odin might be highly upset, his demeanor and voice were nonetheless calm. "The only misunderstanding here is your inability to see the traps you lay for yourself."

Odin pulled on Loki mightily, jerking his son along with him as he returned to his throne with Loki in tow and sat, pulling the trickster neatly into his lap.

Horror instantly asserted itself as Loki's dominant emotion and he turned his head to gawk at his father as the greying All-Father lowered Loki's pants in preparation, "What are you doing?"

Odin paused to give him a meaningful look, "A question as nonsensical as your answers; you know very well what I am doing."

As if the compound the statement and prove that all of it was not just some horrid dream, Loki watched his hand descend and felt the first stab of pain from a well delivered swat. His eyes drifted to Heimdall, who watched with his usual detachment, save perhaps the barest hint of a smile on his lips.

As Loki continued to scan his audience in stunned awe, he saw many reflecting perhaps the same shock that adorned his own face. Others approved enough to smile, laugh, or even clap in applause to Odin's decision to publicly punish him.

Once the initial surprise faded from him Loki twisted as much as he could in Odin's tight grip to look up at his father. He felt a wetness pushing at his eyes even though he knew the pain had yet to get anywhere near its height; without doubt he was more embarrassed than he had ever been in his long life. "Father, cease this madness! You make a mockery of your own court!"

Odin slapped him harder, and Loki yelped, the expression on his face proving that he had not realized that Odin had still held back the lion's share of his strength when first he had punished the trickster. Odin shouted loud enough for everyone in the vast room to hear their conversation, "You make a mockery of my court, trying to use clever words time and again to avoid justice through technicality!"

Loki grabbed hold of the throne with one hand, Odin's leg with the other, as the firm slaps shook him with their power. He gritted his teeth against the sting as his anger rose to combat his hopeless humiliation, "You speak in general terms; when can it be proven that I have evaded legitimate accusations?"

Odin pushed down as Loki tried to squirm from his grasp, his son's increasingly frantic motions betraying how quickly the discipline worked at his control.

Odin barred Loki's legs with his own as the trickster tried to kick his legs up to block the unrelenting stream of swats that bore down on his already reddened ass.

Once he had secured Loki again, Odin replied with a level voice, "We shall use the most recent accusation, in which you attempted to imply that Heimdall had erred to protect yourself…"

Loki screamed out, unable to control his voice properly as the increasing pain from his buttocks mounted, "He did! I am innocent…!"

Loki's protests were strangled as he cried out from a sudden volley of harsh slaps that Odin used to silence him. "Shut your mouth and stop adding to your list of transgressions long enough for me to expose you, fool! As I was saying, you think that only Heimdall monitored your attempt to flee, but I was also watching you keenly as well!"

Loki chocked on the words he had been about to claim in his continued defense. He had not thought Odin cared so much as to be watching him personally at that time, and he couldn't very well argue that Odin had made a mistake…

Odin smiled down at him as Loki lay numbly without words, "No more banter I see. You are finally caught red-handed and now that you see the trap…"

Loki yelled out at the top of his lungs, pulling at Odin's grip even though he knew he had no chance of escape. He could not stop his answer from sounding like a sob despite his best efforts, the strain of everything he now endured too much. "Yes I want to leave; why would I ever want to stay here when this is how I am treated!"

Odin frowned, his brow furrowing, and Loki could tell that his words had not been what his father was looking for. So Odin struck him in silence, only the sound of his calloused hand colliding with the trickster's backside filling the room.

Loki glanced at those present; they were all quiet as the grave, still and patiently waiting until Odin was finished punishing his son, as if this was just another item on the court's agenda. He squinted his eyes shut and ducked his head, not wanting to see them anymore, but he still felt their eyes upon him.

After this had gone on for some time, Odin stopped slapping him and addressed him once more, "Do you have anything you would like to add to your answer?"

Loki opened his eyes and gritted his teeth so hard he felt they might crack. He finally nodded weakly, having known he was defeated before Odin had once more made his demand. "I-I am sorry to have brought shame onto myself and my family, and ask forgiveness of the All-Father and my peers."

Odin nodded, a genuine smile crossing his face. He pulled Loki's trousers back up and allowed the trickster to stand, if shakily. "Congratulations, son; you have administered your first apology."

A cheer broke out throughout the room and Loki lowered his head, burning with shame. Odin held up a hand to quiet them before it could get to out of hand, and continued, "Your request for forgiveness is granted, as it always is, at least by me. Go to your quarters and take the day off from working on the Bifrost to reflect on what a simple admission can save you from."

Loki turned and walked out without looking up, feeling as if he just wanted to sink into the ground and disappear forever…


	3. Adopted

Loki clicked the panel back into place, stepping back to the console to check the readings there and adjust the power levels going into the Tesseract. After thinking on it, Loki had decided to try to use the device in a similar way to how he did when using the Tessract's power for personal use; feeding power into the machine in an attempt to better control what then came out.

To do that Loki had to modify the Bifrost so that it had a power source as well as a multitude of other adjustments before he could even see if his idea bore fruit. Today he thought everything was in order, though, and he could finally experiment.

Loki hit the activation key and moved away, just in case the Tesseract decided to do something nasty with the new power it was being fed. A spark of lightning flashed across its length and then it began to spin in the air, emitting a quiet hum.

Loki rushed forward, checking his charts again, and smiled at what the computer was telling him, "It worked! I can do… well, anything!"

Before Loki's mind could even begin to contemplate the uses of his discovery, Odin's hand settled on his shoulder, and he jumped. Loki glanced back at his father, "I've… I've done it."

Odin smiled fondly down at his son, "Yes, you have; I always knew you could. You have not only learned to use the Tesseract to power the extra dimensional capacities of the Bifrost, but you have tapped into the secret of limitless power itself; you have to give something to get something."

Loki nodded, finding that he was blushing at his father's praise and feeling uncomfortable both for that and the accompanying emotions that followed. Loki had convinced himself over the time that had passed since his public humiliation that he hated his father.

Despised him even; Loki had questioned why he had ever cared so much what the old lord thought of him when Odin could so easily cast aside Loki's rights as prince. Loki turned away from his father's congratulations, shrugging the hand from his shoulder.

Loki wore an indignant look; waving off the praise, "I did what you demanded of me, so I assume we are now squared?"

Odin's face took on a stony tone as the smile slipped away, "You have done what I commanded, but you have a long way yet to go to atone for your many sins. I am surprised you thought it would be so easy…."

Loki barked out a humorless laugh, "I'm surprised I thought you would ever release me from my imprisonment."

Odin raised an eyebrow at Loki, "You are not imprisoned; I have granted you free rein over Asgard, and you may go where you please. It is your own choice to remain sequestered in your personal chambers."

Loki laughed again, also without mirth, "Yes, I may freely consort with any one of the many citizens who have seen my father make a mockery of me! You belittled me so thoroughly that the most common dregs of our society now have more dignity than I represent!"

Odin folded his arms over his chest, nodding. "I did, and you deserved every ounce of it; when will you look inward to solve your problems instead of accusing others for your ills, son?"

Loki growled at Odin, unable to keep a calm façade in light of Odin's attempt to shift the blame for what the All-Father clearly did on him, the victim. "When will you realize that I wish to leave, to start over somewhere else?"

Odin only stood watching him with an intense gaze, and Loki gulped before pressing his demand, "I don't want free rein of Asgard; I want to be able to go wherever I please. I will still carry out whatever further tasks you wish, but you have soured my taste for Asgard, and I no longer wish to live here."

Odin stood considering a long time before speaking, "Very well. Get your things together; I will send you away from Asgard to a place where you can continue working for me but be removed from the shame you have caused yourself. Consider this a kindness you don't deserve."

Loki started to protest but realized that Odin had agreed with the request, and stared in astonishment for a moment before recovering, "Of course! I shall be ready to leave shortly."

As Loki packed his things and traveled to Bifrost he began to have reservations about what he had spoken Odin into. Once the All-Father also arrived he voiced his concerns, "You are going to allow me to select from a list of places to travel, aren't you… in the interest of it truly being freedom and not merely relocation of internment, right?"

Odin glared at him sideways and then activated the central device of the Bifrost by slamming Heimdall's sword into a metal scabbard designed for it. The great engine made a dull roar as it powered up, and lights flickered on many screens as it seemed the very room began to spin around them. "You wanted the freedom to leave the company of your brethren here, so I have granted it; don't push your luck."

Loki gazed at Odin in open worry, "W-where am I going, then…?"

Odin smiled, and Loki suddenly felt like he had walked into an awful trap, "W-wait… I'm having second thoughts…!"

Odin shook his head and waved his arm from left to right. The simple gesture sent Loki wheeling across the room towards the glowing portal that had opened in the wall, and he cried out as he barreled through, hearing Odin's words as he left Bifrost. "The grass is most certainly not greener where you are going, son. Perhaps now you will realize what you took for granted…"

Loki slammed into hard-packed earth and… snow. He gasped at the sudden cold, looking around to see what he had feared he would; the mountains of Jotenheim loomed all around him, desolate save for brilliant blue ice and bright white snow.

The air whipped about, spinning small eddies in the drifts of powder and chilling Loki to the core despite the fact that he was possessed of frost giant blood. Loki looked all around but there was no longer any sign of the portal he had emerged from… not that he had expected to see any.

Loki gave out a mournful cry at the thought of what Odin had done; had his father finally decided to be done with him… to kill his unwanted troublesome son?

A shape materialized in the blizzard and Loki reflexively gestured, incanting a spell to render himself invisible. His eyes widened as he realized he could not draw upon his sorcery. Odin must have cut off his source of power… he really did mean to end him!

Loki looked left and right in a panic, finally diving into the snow itself in an attempt to cover himself and hide. The ground was not as soft as it had looked, however, and only an inch or so of the powder could actually be pushed aside, so Loki managed only to bruise and scrape his hands and knees for the effort.

A deep laugh sounded, and Loki looked up to see a massive frost giant looking down at him. She was smaller than most giants Loki had seen, but several heads taller than Loki, and far broader. "Laufeyson, the ground will not yield to such tender hands as yours, and even if they should, you would freeze if you succeeded in hiding from me. You may be of our blood, but you are soft like the rest of Odin's court."

Loki sat up, trying to appear presentable as he dusted himself off and held his head high, "You know who I am… Odin told you I would be coming?"

The giant nodded, "Yes; he mentioned that he was sending an emissary to show the seriousness of his wish for peace between our peoples, but to send you…" She smirked darkly at him, "Either he has the greatest faith in your silver tongue, or he would as soon be rid of you."

Loki only stared as the huge warrior gestured ahead of herself, "Well, are you going to come with me or did you plan on freezing to death after all? I had heard that you were a smart one, but you seem rather… stupid."

Loki cast a sharp look her way and then sneered, "I'm only shocked that they would send a no-name like yourself to see someone so important, and appalled that you feel so free to speak so candidly with your betters."

The humor dropped from the female giant's face and she growled at him, "I am Thurga of the Joten, and our new chieftain instructed me personally to fetch you, Loki of Asgard. Your All-Father instructed him where to find you."

Loki sighed, waving dismissively, "Just lead me to your new chieftain, then, and remember your place when addressing a prince."

Thurga's face was hot with anger, but her gravelly voice didn't betray how annoyed she was. "Very well, Prince Loki; follow me."

Loki smirked to himself as the warrior led the way, glad that he could finally get the deference he deserved, thinking that perhaps despite Odin's best efforts to make him miserable he might yet establish himself correctly. Perhaps he would even take the throne of the new un-blooded chieftain…

Loki liked the idea the more he thought on it. That would be just the right amount of bitter irony; Loki ascending to take over rulership of the very people Odin stole him away from. His mind soared at the notion of marching an army of Jotens into Asgard and…

The trickster's line of thought was broken as a huge building reared into view. He had never actually seen a Joten castle before, and Loki marveled at its simple beauty, the entire structure shaped from the ice by the unique sorcery possessed by the Joten.

After entering the grand chamber with its massive throne of ice, Loki frowned at the emptiness of the place, "What kind of audience is this? Is this new chieftain unable to command his subjects well enough to demand a reception fitting a royal emissary?"

A booming, weathered voice heavy with age but still possessed of power answered him as the source of the voice stepped out from behind the throne.

Taller than even Laufey had been, this giant bore many scars and a fearsome grizzled face. "This is the safest audience you could hope for, grandson. What greeting would you expect from the rabble for a traitor guilty of patricide?"

Loki yelled out as Thurga put a large hand on his shoulder and roughly pushed him to his knees, "You shall kneel before Lorey, father of Laufey and chieftain of the Joten, for he now decides whether you live or die in pain, Prince Loki."

The ancient giant sat upon the throne of ice and stared at Loki with cold blue eyes, "Prince? Not here; here you are the dirt beneath my heel and worth less than nothing. Your father Odin sent me a message stating his reasons for sending you and what he would like me to do with you…"

Loki's voice was significantly smaller sounding in his own ears now, and he ceased struggling against Thurga's rough treatment. "W-what did the All-Father say he wanted you to do with me?"

Lorey leaned over, taking a scroll from a nearby table and holding it up for Loki to see. The trickster raised his eyebrows in curiosity and then shouted "No!" as Lorey tore the scroll to shreds. "You changed the rules, grandson. I'll consider what Odin suggested, but I would see what in you is worth saving before I spare you any pain."

Lorey leaned back into his seat and rested his head on his hand, then motioned off-handedly to Thurga, "What impression has my grandson given you since his arrival, granddaughter?"

Loki gasped and Thurga smiled down at him cruelly at the terrified look on his face as he stared up at her, "He is a brat, Chieftain; spoiled to the riches of Odin, undisciplined and weak." She sneered at him, "He does not know when he is looking at his betters."

Lorey nodded slowly and clasped his hands together in his lap as he deliberated, "Grandson, we Jotens often ritually combat our own fathers for the right of rulership; the strong should rule. My own son Laufey inherited the title of Chieftain only because I grew tired of the task and stepped down. He did not dare challenge me in single combat."

Loki watched Lorey cautiously, not sure where this was going. The icy monarch continued, "So now we come to the question, then; why did you murder my son Laufey?"

Loki licked his lips, and then committed to what he saw as his only chance of surviving the encounter. He tried to stand again but pushing against Thurga proved impossible, so he simply made his voice as hard as he could and stared Lorey in the eyes with every bit of confidence he could muster, "I wish to rule my people the Jotens."

A silence descended on them all as Lorey watched him without replying right away, and Loki could feel his heart hammering away in his chest. At last the giant began to scoff, and then laugh out loudly, his deep voice echoing through the halls. "You fool child! So predictable; I told you our custom knowing that you would attempt to twist it to your advantage."

Loki's voice sounded panicked even though he tried to hide it, "It's true! I wished to lead the frost giants in a glorious victory over Asgard!"

The mirth remained o Lorey's face as he replied, "Then you wish to follow our traditions, and rule with the might of a giant? Measure your next words carefully; shall I have Thurga fight you to the death here and now to see if you possess the strength required?"

Loki's mind raced for a plausible answer, "Not all strength is in the arm, and Odin has crippled my magic, so that I cannot show you the force I represent!"

Lorey stood and shouted at Loki, his bellowing voice causing the trickster to flinch backwards onto his rear, "That is not our way, boy! But you would have known that if you were not pretending to know the first thing about our culture!"

Loki only stared up at him in speechless horror, daunted by the massive frame of the ageless ice lord. Lorey glared at him a moment longer before calm settled back over his wizened face again and he sat back upon his throne. "You think yourself so very clever, grandson, but I was unraveling plots by cleverer persons than you who wanted to assassinate me before your father was born."

Lorey leaned forward, looking Loki in the eye, "So, grandson; do you want to know how you came to be in the court of our enemy, raised by my son's greatest nemesis?"

Loki could only nod dumbly for a moment, knowing that the information Lorey taunted him with was a question that had burned deeply in his soul ever since he had learned the truth of his heritage, "Yes."


	4. Cold Reasonings

Lorey waited to speak, a slight smile on his face, as if he enjoyed making Loki wait to hear what the reason was behind all the suffering he had spent lifetimes enduring being both unknowingly shunned and knowingly disowned.

For a moment, the thought that Lorey might just be tantalizing him with a truth he would never reveal crossed Loki's mind, and the trickster licked his lips nervously as he waited, a tense expression on his face. What a cruel jest that would be at Loki's expense, and with all of Lorey's unreasoning anger, Loki started to think that was exactly what was happening.

But then the icy giant spoke, "You represented a sacrifice; our people value strength, and believe that strong fathers make strong sons. My son may never have been my equal on the field of battle, but he inherited the throne because of this accepted fact."

Lorey leaned forward in his frozen throne, gazing at Loki studiously, as if judging his worth. Loki shifted uncomfortably under those scrutinizing cold blue eyes. Lorey continued, "Laufey waged war with Odin, All-Father of Asgard, because like all true Joten he wished to prove his strength."

Lorey sat back again, and Loki thought he saw the faintest glimmer of sadness cross the frost giant's eyes, "This is back when our world still had some green to it. It has always been cold in Jotenheim, but this land was not always so… barren."

The ice chieftain stood and walked over to a wall, gesturing to a huge animal hide that was painted with a faded image of tundra like what Loki had seen outside of the castle, only this picture depicted trees, bushes and grasses amidst the snow. "A cost of war; my son unleashed a weapon that harnessed the cold of Joten itself, and his overuse caused an imbalance in our world."

Loki nodded, "I have seen this weapon…"

Lorey glanced back at him with a small smile that bore no humor and made Loki shudder, "You have wielded it, grandson. Don't look so surprised, after all, I am the creator of that artifact, so it only holds true that I would know when it is operated."

Loki went silent and Lorey sat again, "My son lost his war with Odin of Asgard. Because your adoptive father is cunning, he used what he knew of our people against us in order to force an uneasy peace."

Loki stared at Lorey inquisitively, "What does this have to do with me?"

Lorey smiled, "Everything; at the time Laufey son of Lorey only had one heir to inherit his throne, an infant named Loki. Taking you from your father stood not only as a crushing blow to the pride of your father, but served as a constant reminder as he raised you that the Joten's legacy had been stripped from us."

Loki was bewildered by the notion, "Why did your people not recoup and try again then, perhaps with a better strategy, or at least attempt to rescue me?"

Lorey scoffed at Loki harshly, "See; more evidence that your inane claim to rule us was more folly than fact. The message was clear; we had been beaten by a superior foe. An honorable warrior of Joten knows when he has lost and surrenders respect to the strongest."

Lorey stared at Loki with an unreadable expression, "I am certain Laufey would have loved nothing more than to try again, but honor prevented him. Odin's action in taking you further discouraged him to forsake that honor because if he attacked Odin…"

Loki finished for Lorey, his face filled with realization, "…then he would have to fight his own son in such a war." Loki's brow furrowed in confusion, "But if Laufey cared so much for me, why did he not tell me all of this when I first met him?"

Lorey shook his head, "So much you don't know of what it is to grow strong; if Laufey told you everything then how would that have aided you? Instead, Laufey chose to watch you and see if his heir deserved his throne. If you could not even find your own heritage, you were of no use to Joten."

Loki nodded, "That further explains Odin's maneuver then; if I ever did sit on that throne, having been raised an Asgardian would secure a permanent alliance with Jotenheim."

Lorey smiled, "Finally you understand." The smile dropped away as Lorey's face became deathly serious, "So tell me, grandson; did you drive a knife into your father's back, or did you have someone else do the deed for you?"

Loki gulped, "Neither; I faced Laufey in honorable combat and bested him…" Loki saw a shadow pass over Lorey's face and he spoke quickly, "…so by all rights according to your own traditions I am Chieftain of Jotenheim!"

Anger flashed forward in Lorey's eyes and he rose from his throne, but it passed and was replaced by a tired look as he sighed, sitting down. "Odin deserves you. Your foster father sent demands as to what he expects us to do with you, because such is his arrogance. I thought it strange as to the punishments he suggested should you become a pain to me."

Loki's heart fluttered, "W-what punishments?"

Lorey gave him an icy smile, "I don't have time to punish you for your stupidity; I have true Jotens to settle account with. Thurga, take Prince Loki to the roofless tower and paddle him like a child for his insolence; after you have put him in his place return to me."

Thurga nodded, "Yes, Chieftain."

Loki was still staring in shock as Thurga took hold of his shoulder and hauled him up, dragging him away from the vast throne chamber. Finally he regained his senses just as Lorey was about to disappear from view, "W-wait… what? You cannot…!"

Loki could see a satisfied smile spread across his paternal grandfather's face as they rounded the corner into the hall, and he shifted his focus on Thurga, trying in vain to wrench himself free of her grasp with violent pulls and kicks, "Release me! I am royalty with legitimate claim to the throne and if you…!"

Thurga pulled him forward and head-butted him, Loki's head snapping back from the impact as his hands came up to nurse his bleeding nose. She gave him a stony look as he grew very still and afraid, "You're pathetic, and I am ashamed to call you brother. Your doting step-father isn't here, spoiled prince, and I am not Thor to commend you your weakness."

Loki's head still throbbed from the painful strike but despite how thoroughly Thurga now intimidated him he could not hold his boiling anger in check, "Why do you keep calling me that when you know nothing of the hardships I have endured!"

Thurga shook her head and resumed walking, tugging him along behind her easily. The frost giant climbed many steps, forcing Loki to dance up them to avoid tripping since her stride was so much larger than his own.

Once at the top she opened a door and entered a tower room that had no roof, the stars above shining down on them. There was a simple bed in the center of the room; the only furniture, and Thurga sat upon this, easily pulling Loki over her lap.

Loki fought against the blue-skinned warrior with all of his might, but it was like bashing at an impenetrable wall, and as she tugged his pants down to subject his bottom to the cool air he practically squealed in hysteria, "You cannot do this! This action comes with a price!"

Thurga smiled at him as she brought a mighty arm back, delivering a powerful swat to his squirming posterior. "You will most certainly be paying it." Loki shouted in unbridled rage and Thurga went to work, his ass quickly reddening under her efforts.

Loki huffed as the now all too familiar pain welled up, and his eyes watered with the profound sting of it; Thurga showed him no mercy, and ruthlessly swatted him without pause. "Why… why this… how could you be so easily manipulated by Odin? He is the one that wants me humiliated in this manner… he… he set a trap to prove that there are no depths to how far he'll go to sully my dignity!"

Thurga laughed and spoke, but her hand remained steady, not missing a beat. "Chieftain Lorey does not take commands from your pompous father; I thoroughly agree with him that we need start over with you, for you act like a youth who has yet to learn why he should give respect."

Loki's brow crinkled in frustrated confusion, "But I am an ambassador to Asgard; this is not the respect due to me! And I seriously doubt that Lorey would have the same…" Loki cut himself short, suddenly acutely aware that Thurga might not realize that Odin had punished him in this way and embarrassed at the notion of telling her."

He had already said too much, though, and Loki saw realization spark in her eyes, much to his disdain. Thurga laughed as she swatted his squirming rear, "Your All-Father punishes you this way too! Perhaps your adoptive father asked for this… and perhaps Lorey just knows what you need!"

Loki flinched at the notion, growling up at her even as he twisted in growing discomfort that was quickly becoming intolerable. "And perhaps you both do not realize that just because I have been robbed of my sorcery now does not mean I won't make you suffer exquisitely for this later!"

Thurga's smile faded and she grabbed Loki by the hair, wrenching his head back to look him in the eye as her slaps became far more severe. "When I am done with you, you will think differently."

She released her hold on his hair and resumed her steady rhythm, and Loki stared ahead in a dazed state for a moment, impacted by the promise that had existed in her cold blue eyes. His hands gripped the mattress under them as he hissed against the invasive pain.

Loki had thought to come back at her with a scathing remark or further argument, and normally he would not have hesitated, but for the first time since she had started swatted the trickster he noticed the extent of his own fear; how long was she going to do this?

A few minutes passed that seemed to drag out into lifetimes of endured misery, and Loki could not help but begin to grunt at the extreme sting administered to him now that his cheeks had become so very sensitive to repeated slapping.

As thoughts on how ridiculous he sounded entered his mind, Loki tried to avoid giving her the satisfaction of hearing him cry out, but as time waned on he could not stop his own reactions to the ever building pain. As his embarrassing shouts grew louder he sought desperately to escape the scene with some shred of his dignity intact, "I-I have thought on what you said, and perhaps I have been too hasty to judge you… after all, how could I have known you were a princess?"

Thurga barked out laughter and if anything the punishment became even more severe. Her arm was a blur, and Loki noticed to his great panic that she didn't seem tired in the slightest. "Fool brother, it is good to see you begin to squirm; I will enjoy making you cry…"

"Making me…" Loki's eyes widened as he stared slack-jawed at Thurga's open malice. "Why would you wish to treat me in such a fashion… we hardly know each other… perhaps… perhaps there has been a misunderstanding?"

Thurga laughed again, and a wide toothy smile spread across her face, "Yes; you misunderstood your place when you first set eyes on me, and failed to grovel for forgiveness, so now I will make you grovel…"

Loki lost a bit of his composure despite himself in the face of her threats, "Please… we don't have to do this…"

Thurga only responded with raucous laughter, and Loki bit his lip, trying desperately to come up with some way to escape the torturous things she planned for him. Try as he might, though, the trickster could not come up with anything, and as time passed he could think of nothing but the sting in his ass, maddeningly persistent.

As the tears finally came, the self-pity once repressed now raging unchecked over his attempts to retain his self-respect, Loki wailed in hideous defeat to Thurga's continued ministrations, his misery only egged on by her accompanying laughter at his pathetic state.

Loki squalled at Thurga, his voice cracked with rage and humiliation, "You are an evil creature, vile and brutish to enjoy hurting me for so little!"

Thurga stopped laughing but kept her smile, humorless as it was, "I would see you beg forgiveness now, and perhaps I will weary of this sport."

Loki held out for only a few more moments, unable to resist the option to end the madness that left him so low, "Fine! I am sorry; please forgive me!"

Thurga shook her head and continued to pummel his darkened ass, "Not good enough; beg, dog!"

Loki's tears streamed openly down his face as he screamed out his frustration, the last of his will being crushed under Thurga's relentless lack of mercy,

"Please, sister, I beg of you, please allow me to stand as a man again, please do not continue making me feel like such a lowly worm!"

Thurga listened to his continued pleas for a while longer with a satisfied smile on her face and finally ceased swatted him suddenly, pushing Loki from her lap so that he tumbled unceremoniously to the floor. She stood and walked to the door, pausing a moment to leave him one last parting piece of advice,

"Remember how you feel today, because this is how you may expect truly strong Jotens to regard your manners."

She left and Loki cold hear a bar being slid into place on the other side of the door. He glanced around and finally dully realized that he had been imprisoned. Loki crawled up onto the bed, burying his face in the stiff mattress and cried, lost to his shame.


	5. Conclusions

Loki was uncertain how long he had been in the room with no ceiling. He had realized after a short time that the king of the castle must have created this place as a way to torture prisoners; the cold winds of the land whipped into the room with little obstruction, and the lack of sheets and blanket spoke of intended exposure.

Luckily for the Asgardian prince, he was a giant himself, and therefore far less affected that a true son of Odin would have been. Still, the wind was somewhat uncomfortable, and Loki slept uneasily as the frigid breeze caressed his sore bottom.

He could not sleep on his back for the awful sting that Thurga had put there, and this part perhaps disquieted him more than any of the others. When a heavy knock sounded upon his door, Loki jumped from his restless slumber, locking his bleary eyes on the door, "Who would bother to knock on a prisoner's door?"

Loki heard the bar slide away and the door opened to reveal Thurga's smiling face. "Well at least you no longer pretend to your state of being… tell me, do you still think your role here to be that of a dignitary?"

Loki sneered at her, "Your family's disposition to me from the moment I arrived has made it clear to me that you wish no peace with my adoptive father."

Thurga chided him, waggling a finger his way, "Nay; we do wish to restore things to the way they were, for Odin holds all of the cards and we have none. However…"

Thurga crossed the room to Loki and snatched him up before he could scramble off of the bed. She took hold of his hair and jerked his head up to look into her face, to see her menace closely, "…there is no reason we cannot take the All-Father up on his offer to seek justice in you."

Loki gulped, "S-surely Odin has forbidden you from killing me…"

A dark look crossed over Thurga's face and Loki almost smiled, realizing he had been right. Thurga spoke first, "You said 'your family', but this is your family too, 'brother', and you are merely experiencing what we do to the weakest members of our clan."

Thurga pushed Loki, corralling him out of the room and down the stairs. It finally occurred to Loki to question their destination, "W-where are you taking me?" He grunted as Thurga pushed him along, "You do not have to be so rough; I am not resisting you, brute!"

Thurga only smiled at his discomfort and continued to prod the trickster through the castle of solid ice until they finally arrived in a large room with vaulted ceilings. Thurga pushed Loki until he stood before a dais that was stained with filthy black ichor.

Above the dais on the frozen wall was carved an intricate symbol; a large circle with several lines pointing out of it from near the middle, runes carved all along each line. Though simple, there was something ominous about the symbol on the wall.

Thurga took hold of Loki's shoulder and pushed down hard, forcing him to take a knee. He winced at the impact of his knees against the unforgiving floor, and barked out his irritation, "What is the meaning of this?"

The giantess responded in an uncustomary hushed tone, her voice both commanding to Loki and reverent to the place she had taken him, "You may consider yourself a 'god', as your line is apt to do, but we frostkin know what real gods are. You kneel now before the alter of Bjoran, the Lord of Ice."

Loki gave the foreboding alter another look and grimaced, "Exactly what use do I have of your 'Ice God'? You must know that such a derelict deity such as this holds little sway over one such as I."

Thurga hissed at him, "You do not know our gods any better than you know anything else of what it is to be a Joten; that is why you are here, Loki Laufeyson. Grandfather, our chieftain, would have you learn what you are."

Loki smirked, "If you think that just because we share blood I'm going to prostrate myself to your dead god you're out of your mind. This 'Ice Lord' hasn't come out to say hello to any of you for a long time, has he? What proof do you have that he even…"

Loki's eyes went wide and a satisfied smile spread on Thurga's face as something beyond the ice wall spoke to him. Its words were old; older than time, yet it was difficult to distinguish the difference between the words he heard and his own thoughts.

In fact, so internal was the dialogue that Loki was not certain he was actually hearing anything. He looked to Thurga as he wrapped his arms around himself and shivered; the voice in his mind was cold. "Did you hear that?"

Thurga's knowing smile remained but she shook her head, "No. Bjoran speaks to you alone, lost one."

Loki cast his gaze to the alter and its strange carved backdrop once more, straining to comprehend the archaic things being said to him. The words made him tremble with dread at the raw malice he heard in them, and he gulped as he listened. "I… I don't understand…"

Thurga scoffed, "Of course you don't; you aren't even versed in our native tongue. Your All-Father has made your very existence a mockery of our race."

Loki grimaced at the disdain in her face, "If your god is so powerful, why is he unable to breach the simple bridge of language?"

Thurga didn't have to answer the question; Loki's face paled as the whisper in his mind became a booming shout. The words were still alien to him, but there was no doubting the anger in them. He raised his hands up as he spoke carefully, feeling suddenly as if the air around him was composed of invisible knives set to impale him for his audacity. "O-okay… the Ice Lord understands me; he just… chooses not to speak Asgardian."

Thurga nodded, "Our lord would not sully his tongue with your foreign dialect here in his sanctum; would you expect Odin to speak our tongue in his keep?"

Loki shook his head, considering. "I have actually never heard Odin speak any tongue other than ours."

Thurga smiled, "That is a mark of his pride." Her face grew serious, "He has taken you completely; you still refer to the Asgardian tongue as 'ours'. It is theirs; you are a frost giant, Laufeyson, and you need to reclaim the speech of your birthright."

Loki moved back from the blackened alter and finally regarded Thurga again, haunted by the alien voice that had invaded his thoughts. "I know already you aren't going to give me any choice but to learn the native language of the Joten; but do you intend to force me to do so just to give obeisance to this 'Ice Lord'?"

Thurga moved past him and slowly drew her hand along the lines of the carving etched into the wall. "Whether you worship Bjoran or not, as an icekin you belong to him, and always have." She gave Loki a cold look before hauling him to his feet, "It is a good thing you are just a prisoner, because you make a horrible ambassador."

Loki fumbled through the rough dialect at first, but with time he began to grasp the speech of the Jotens with some measure of competence. Thurga didn't give him any books or bring him to a scholar of any sort to learn the tongue, but instead sat him across from her and began to simply recite words in the language he did understand, and then tell him the icekin version.

Loki shook his head as he frowned, "No… this word isn't even speech; you're just grunting at me!"

Thurga frowned back at him, "It is true that this intonation is not a word as you know words to be, but it still carries heavy meaning and suffices often in place of a greeting or an exit."

Loki scowled, "You mean to say the Joten are happy rutting and grunting at each other like common beasts; this is not language, it is base noise with little meaning."

Thurga reached forward and slapped Loki across the face hard, and he fell from his chair as his hand came to his face. His expression was surprised and angry, "If you were trying to convince me that you aren't a brute you have done quite the opposite!"

Thurga shook her head, her tone still instructive. "I am merely reminding you that sometimes actions can speak louder than words. You are now very certain that your condemnation of our language has irritated me. Just because we speak fewer syllables does not mean that we have said less."

Loki resumed his seat, rubbing his face as he glared. He should have known better than to provoke the barbarian. Just because she was instructing him didn't mean she would be any more tolerant of his own educated opinion. "I personally prefer to save my energy; I can let someone know I'm displeased without having to attack them."

Thurga smiled at the guarded way Loki watched her, as if afraid she would hit him again. "Then you are truly an outsider to our ways and the ways of the people you claimed kinship with; I do not know Asgardians very well, but we Joten know they tend to speak with actions too."

Loki only stared at her and Thurga finally went on teaching him the words and non-words of the Joten people. For the next several days, Thurga dragged him from his bed and began the long monotonous rhythm of speech until it grew late and she returned him to his tower. Loki would spend the moments before sleep took him thinking of how much he hated that woman.

Loki stood on the edge of a precipice; a dark gorge the bottom of which he could not see. The coldest of winds blew on this desolate mountain, and he shivered as the chill sliced through him. Something was down there. Something evil, something that was cruel beyond imagining and had spent centuries down there with nothing to keep it company except its own desire to vent that cruelty.

Loki wanted to turn away but he couldn't. His arms and legs wouldn't move despite his growing terror, and as he watched he thought he saw something move in the darkness below. It was hungry, it desired his soul. It was angry, but its rage was cold.

Loki was an offense to the Ice God, and Bjoran promised to wring agony from Loki for eternity. The Asgardian prince felt his foot moving as if of its own volition. The rebellious limb shakily stepped out over the precipice as Loki screamed in horror, "No!"

Loki's leg did not respond to his desperate command, though, and he leaned forward as his weight went over the edge. As he began to fall a voice filled his mind with numbing fear, "Come. Come to me."

"No!" Loki cried out as he sat up on his stiff bed. Despite the cold wind that wreathed the tower Loki was covered in a sheen of sweat. He rose shakily from the bed and stood looking out at the dark sky above.

He was no longer dreaming, but Loki could still feel the presence he had felt in his sleep. The same malevolence hung in the very air of this land, and

Loki was surprised he had never sensed it before. Jotenheim was cursed. Loki sat on his bed again, thinking.

Lorey had told him that the Jotens themselves had ruined their own land, but now Loki realized it had not been with something as simple as a powerful artifact. The Joten had released an evil on their world; something he now realized was likely not even native to Jotenheim.

He thought furiously. The reasons for the wars between Jotenheim and Asgard, the real reasons, began to become clear. Whatever this Ice Lord was, he had likely influenced Jotenheim long before Laufey had used the artifact, a device that was also almost certainly created through the power of Bjoran.

Odin knew of this evil, had always known. He had forced a peace between Asgard and Jotenheim because he knew he could not hope for peace through any other means, not while the Joten worshipped such a malign deity.

Loki fell to his knees in the small room and hung his head, feeling stupid and foolish for the things he had said and claimed. After sitting there for a time he raised his hands in supplication, his voice bitter but also humbled, "I am sorry, father. I did not know, and I have learned now what you would have me learn here. Please take me back…"

Loki's voice cracked and he felt tears brimming at his eyes, a product of his conflicting emotions, fear and shame. "…please save me from whatever fate the Joten would consign me to. I am not one of them!"

Even if Thurga succeeded in making a Joten of Loki, and he gained Lorey's approval, the trickster knew without doubt that as much as he might have felt out of place in Asgard, Joten would never be his home. And the god that had consumed this world knew it. It would only be a matter of time until Bjoran claimed him.

Loki looked up and realized that he was in Odin's palace. A servant placed a blanket around his shoulders as Odin regarded him in stony silence. Loki didn't bother rising from his knees, lowering his head at the knowing look in his father's eyes.

Odin spoke, "Welcome home, son."

Loki glanced up at Odin again and nodded, relief flooding his face as he rose shakily. "Thank you… father."


End file.
